Our Colin: agent for the day.(Fig. 1) For every slushpile entry he read...(Fig. 2)...he was allowed to take home an ARC.Books, like TARDISes, are bigger on the inside. Suitcases are not.Good luck, Colin.

Colin grinned wickedly. And then...he leaped! Call it a leap of faith, a leap of love, or a leap into the leaves of glory, but he leaped into the books like a pirouetting Labrador. THE ONE skittered across the floor in his wake. And everyone knew—that’s him.

Colin pondered his next move while playing book Jenga with the interns. Minutes later, one copy of Numb by Sean Ferrell brought the whole game to a crashing halt. At least reading the aftermath was fun.

Thus, outfitted in forensic goggles, gloves and asbestos underpants, Colin proceeded to stock the bookshelves using the famous Carkoonian Decimal System*, i.e. the method of filing books according to the creative ways characters were decimated in the story.

Here at the NYPD, we do things a little differently.Mug shots?Add creative flair!A few props, a piece of art.Let’s make it fun!Miranda rights?Why have them read TO you,When you can read them yourself?Scavenger Hunt!Nope - the photos don’t lie.Pure joy!

When the Sorceress leaves Colin unattended, he uses her magic to enchant two chapters. The pages soon burgeon into a towering, tilting wall of books. Mere moments before the tumbling TBR pile crushes him, Janet returns and saves him with the wave of a Laird Barron bookmark.

As often happens when a congregation of books convene, a portal opened to take our erstwhile Mr. Smith to a magical world between the moon and New York City. When you're caught there, you do the best that you can do.

“Page and page and pageBlasts by this thrilling paceUnto the last syllable of this gripping novel.”So say the critics.Colin says, “Man, am I glad I stopped by New Leaf. My literary career is really taking off.”Plus he got to meet some really cool people.

Today the man brought pages from his WIP. He was not popular. She took his picture for her dart board. She made him shelve books. Then the Queen took him to a watering hole and made him buy her much vodka. Tomorrow the Queen will rest.

Treasure. Smith breathed in, awaiting the magic. When he opened his eyes, he noticed a tiny volume in the back, gold cover shimmering under the office lights. He waded in, pulled out the book, and read the title.

Colin flexes his fingers.Gets back to work.“…afraid it’s a pass…”Reshelve books, they said. As if.“…not a good fit…”But still.“…best wishes…”Better second job than driving for Uber.Or delivering pizza.Janet doesn’t believe in NORMANs. And he’s gotta pay the mortgage.“…Sincerely…”

(Former) Reider Colin Smith is missing after allegedly attempting to distribute his single-spaced, 200,000 word manuscript to the Queen’s minions. Last seen with a rucksack full of sardines, he is thought to be held as a food taster for the Duchess of Yowl.

**NOT AN ENTRY (OBVIOUSLY)**Just to say, I'm home now. Had a great time in NYC. It was great seeing Janet again, and meeting most of the New Leaf team. Thanks, Janet, for not calling security immediately. ;)

And you are all having way too much fun with this. Y'all are a blast. :D

A map found somewhere around 7pm....(4pm PT)The map says 77 books with 777 pages, 7 down and 7 across and you will find a buried 7 finned shark trying to dig herself out of this 7square foot pile ... "When found please serve 7 bottles of 70 year-old scotch!"

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I'm a literary agent in NYC. I specialize in crime fiction and narrative non-fiction (history and biography.) I'll be glad to receive a query letter from you; guidelines to help you decide if I'm looking for what you write are below.
There are several posts labelled "query pitfalls" and "annoy me" that may help you avoid some common mistakes when querying.